A HISTORY OF THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT FROM A PROGRESSIVE ZIONIST PERSPECTIVE

Join RRC Rabbi Maurice Harris on Zoom for an enriching 4-part comprehensive (but not too overwhelming) overview of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To teach this challenging subject, Rabbi Harris uses a dual-narrative approach, alternating between a classical Jewish/Zionist narrative and a classical Palestinian narrative. Presenting both points of view side by side, the course describes and humanizes the Israeli narrative of survival, return, and state-building while also seeking to understand the contrasting Palestinian viewpoint of dispossession, resistance, and creative resilience.

This course endeavors to develop an understanding of how many Jews and Palestinians tend to narrate and mythologize the conflict in different ways, presenting them in a manner that honors the depth, humanity, and complexity of those involved in the conflict. While the course presents both narratives, Rabbi Harris approaches the subject from a progressive Zionist perspective, encouraging the class to seek out other points of view as well, and to raise challenging questions.

The views and analysis presented are entirely Rabbi Harris’, and do not speak officially for Reconstructing Judaism as an organization. 

This series is co-sponsored by the WES Israel Connections Committee, and the WES Adult Education Committee.